Romans 10 Bible Study

In Romans 1-3, God’s painting a Picture of a big problem, and then in chapter 4 he begins to reveal the huge solution. That problem is we are spiritually dead, and we are all separated from God.

The answer is not to stop lying, or cheating, or lusting, but rather, it’s to get life. To be born again. To receive the Spirit. And we don’t get that life by doing good works or by not sinning, but rather solely by our faith.

And by our faith we literally get to participate in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

And this is what true Christianity is. It’s waking up and having died to the old self, and become the new self. You have a new identity, and now the Spirit is your guide and that’s why you don’t need the law or a set of rules.

In chapter 9 we started asking who is this offer for? Is it for all of us or just some group of chosen ones?

Before we get started, let’s recap Paul’s SUMMARY of Chapter 9. Vs 30-31

What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works.

So is this about ‘I pick you but not you’? Let’s get a preview of Paul’s thoughts here in vs 12 & 13.

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Let’s Study Romans 10:1-21

10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. ² For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God,

All kidding aside, the Jews are really trying hard! None of us could compete with them on effort.

but their zeal is not based on knowledge.

The Jews are running and their trying, but the funny thing about the gospel is effort doesn’t count towards righteousness. Sure, some of us think it does after we’re saved, but it didn’t before you were saved, and it doesn’t now.

 ³ Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

So they tried to do it on their own, through 613 laws. They did a good job and maybe got 90% (though doubt it) of the law, but remember, when it comes to righteousness, you either get a 0% or 100%.

 ⁴ Christ is the culmination (end) of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Everyone who is Chosen, or who believes?

⁵ Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” ⁶ But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down)

Why? Because if you’re saying look at that person’s great life (works and law-keeping) you’re bringing what Christ did down and looking at the man, not the savior.

 ⁷ “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).

Again, looking at someone’s struggles with sin and saying they’re definitely going to hell. Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord is saved. Not whoever doesn’t struggle with sin.

What’s the real message? Pauls going to tell us now.

 ⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, ”that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Do you see all the “you’s” here? Not if God chooses you, but If YOU believe….

 ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”¹² For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

It didn’t say everyone who God calls on, it said every who calls on God. That’s not God choosing, it’s you choosing God.

¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

So if God was making everyone just believe then we would not need preachers or ministries. We would not even need the bible.

 ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

 ¹⁶ But not all the Israelites accepted the good news.

They had a choice. THEY did not accept it.

For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”

So some have received the message and some have rejected it. That’s why Hebrews 3:15 tells us “Today, if you hear his voice, do NOT harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion”.

So God is not hardening their hearts. He is telling them not to harden their hearts. He says that because YOU can choose to harden your hearts.

 ¹⁷ Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. ¹⁸ But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.”

It’s possible that this may address the worries about “what about people who never heard about God”. It’s about faith, not being a know it all.

¹⁹ Again I ask: Did Israel not understand?

Of course they did, it was in their scripture. What did God say to Abraham? “I will make you the father of MANY nations”. Israel was how many nations? One.

First, Moses says,

“I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”

20 And Isaiah boldly says,

“I was found by those who did not seek me;
I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.

21 But concerning Israel he says,

“All day long I have held out my hands
to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

Predestination? Verse 21 says God held out his hands to the Jews ALL DAY LONG but they were disobedient and obstinate. That doesn’t sound like God forcing them.

Obstinate means stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or chosen course of action.

That concludes chapter 10. Thanks for joining us in this series.

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Romans 1 - WatchRomans 2 - WatchRomans 3 - WatchRomans 4 - WatchRomans 5 - WatchRomans 6 - WatchRomans 7 - WatchRomans 8 - WatchRomans 9 - WatchRomans 11 - WatchRomans 12 - WatchRomans 13 - WatchRomans 14 - WatchRomans 15-16 - Watch